Billy Ray Ford . Being mislabeled is something we’ve all learned to deal with, I trust. 37:11-21 and Jer. He thought that those who had already defected to the Chaldeans might abuse him in some way. Commentary for Jeremiah 38 . Please, obey the voice of the LORD which I speak to you. They used him as a criminal; he used him as a privy-counsellor. Yet, he himself doesn’t want to kill the prophet. and took him up out of the [dungeon/cistern]: and Jeremiah remained in the [court/courtyard] of the [prison/guard/guardhouse]. The taking of Jerusalem. They’ve also heard before God’s merciful allowance for the people of Jerusalem to surrender to Babylon and keep their lives as a result. Jeremiah 38 Commentary, One of over 110 Bible commentaries freely available, this commentary contains over 34,000 pages in its original 56 volume printing, the largest of its kind Instead though, we see in verse 4 these four officials of Judah seeking permission from king Zedekiah to kill the prophet Jeremiah. Nevertheless, the king gives Jeremiah assurance of his safety if he answers the king’s question in verse 16. Declare unto us now what thou hast said unto the king,hide it not from us,and we will not put thee to death; I [presented my supplication/made a humble plea] before the king,that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan’s house, to die there. Zedekiah was afraid that the *Babylonians would hand him over to them. i. Maybe you’d expect them to surrender to Babylon. Jeremiah 38 Commentary This is the third chapter in what we’re calling the “Bitter End” of Judah. Your email address will not be published. So, that’s blessing for obedience. And we’ve seen already that God ends the so-called Book of Consolation in Jeremiah 34 with a promise to Zedekiah that he would not die. then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans,and they shall burn it with fire,and thou shalt not escape out of their hand. And he and his family would remain alive (Jeremiah 38:17). Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking. Now, what’s more demoralizing? Commentary on Jeremiah 34:1-7 (Read Jeremiah 34:1-7) Zedekiah is told that the city shall be taken, and that he shall die a captive, but he shall die a natural death. jeremiah 38 – commentary # 6 March 30, 2019 Jeremiah His Watchmen “ Jeremiah said, ‘Obey, I beseech you the voice of the Lord, which I speak unto you and your soul shall live’. They will label us as “misogynists” because of the way that Scripture cuts cross-grain to the current ungodly feminism of this culture. Thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; If thou wilt assuredly [go forth unto/surrender to] the king of Babylon’s [princes/officials/officers]. That major section of the book of Jeremiah runs from chapter 36 through chapter 45. The princes went on in their malice. on StudyLight.org Jeremiah 38 Commentary, One of over 110 Bible commentaries freely available, this commentary, filling six volumes, provides an exhaustive look at every verse in the Bible. Click to enable/disable Google reCaptcha. And you shall cause this city to be burned with fire.’”. I am afraid of the Jews [that are fallen/who have deserted] to the Chaldeans,lest they [Babylon] deliver me into their [Jews] hand, and they [Jews] [mock/deal cruelly with/torture] me. Doesn’t the statement in James 1 about a double-minded man come to mind when you think of Zedekiah’s behavior here? i. [chronologically after Jeremiah 37…]. So, the word from God for Zedekiah is – surrender to Babylon and you will be rewarded with life. Chapter 38 In this chapter, just as in the former, we have Jeremiah greatly debased under the frowns of the princes, and yet greatly honoured by the favour of the king. (14-28)1-13 Jeremiah went on in his plain preaching. We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. I can’t do anything to stop you. He’s on their side. Jeremiah 38:1 "Then Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashur the son of Malchiah, heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken unto all the people, saying," Of these two people we nowhere else read about. i. Jeremiah went back to the prison; Zedekiah went to the palace. This king tends to say some very bizarre things. There would be a blessing for obedience (it shall be well with you, and your soul shall live) and a curse for disobedience (they shall surrender all your wives and children to the Chaldeans). The princes went on in their malice. Well, four officials did it just a few verses ago. Our website uses cookies to store user preferences. Jeremiah 38 Men put Jeremiah into a large hole where they had stored water. These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience. iii. So, you wonder – what will happen to those […] But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site. (15-18) Commentary on Jeremiah 39:1-10 (Read Jeremiah 39:1-10) Jerusalem was so strong, that the inhabitants believed the enemy could never enter it. As the LORD liveth, that made us this soul, I will not put thee to death. Jeremiah 39 is the culmination of much of what we’ve already read throughout the first 38 chapters of this book. Well, so, the king caves in as we just saw. They were Pashhur's son Shephatiah, Shelemiah's son Jehucal and Malchijah's son Pashhur. He’s speaking this just maybe months or even weeks before his kingdom crashes down around him. Jeremiah 23:38 Parallel Verses [⇓ See commentary ⇓] Jeremiah 23:38, NIV: "Although you claim, 'This is a message from the LORD,' this is what the LORD says: You used the words, 'This is a message from the LORD,' even though I told you that you must not claim, 'This is a message from the LORD.'" Now, following Jeremiah’s near-death experience, Zedekiah – who was dangerously close to killing this true prophet of the Lord – approaches Jeremiah in verses 14-28. Click to enable/disable _gat_* - Google Analytics Cookie. (1-3) Jeremiah preaching in the days of Zedekiah. 38:26 "you are to say to them" Jeremiah agrees to the cover story. Now it came to pass in the seventh month that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal family and of the officers of the king, came with ten men to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, at Mizpah.And there they ate bread together in Mizpah. So, you wonder – what will happen to those […] Jeremiah 38 commentary 1. But alas, he stops short of the true repentance that God was looking for. So, Jeremiah communicates that apprehension to the king in verse 15. thy feet are sunk in the mire,and [instead of helping you…] they are turned away back. “Nothing is more marked throughout all this story than the absolute and unswerving loyalty of Jeremiah to the message of judgment which he was called on to deliver.” (Morgan). Perhaps he did not want the blame for the catastrophe of misery and destruction that his disobedience would bring. (1-3) The murder of Gedaliah. He’s no traitor. If you’re shocked by Zedekiah’s wavering, you should be. Jeremiah 36:1-32 You Can Reject God’s Word But Not Destroy it. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR CHAPTERS 36-38. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, a gentile comes to Jeremiah’s rescue in verses 7-9. Second though, the other two have been sent to Jeremiah before by king Zedekiah. the book of the prophet jeremiah commentary by a. r. fausset chapter 38 jer 38:1-28.jeremiah predicts the capture of jerusalem, for which he is cast into a dungeon, but is transferred to the prison court on the intercession of ebed-melech, and has a secret interview with zedekiah. Then took they Jeremiah.] It’s hard to know how deep the mud was in this cistern. Some think that Pashur, whose son Gedaliah was, is the same as is mentioned in (Jer. Each of us must walk in the light we have. And yet, what these men count as demoralization, God intends as humbling. Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “Let no one know of these words, and you shall not die. And now this third chapter – Jeremiah 38 consists of two major scenes. He that remaineth in this cityshall die by [the sword/battle], by [the famine/starvation], and by [the pestilence/disease]: but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeansshall live; for he shall have his life for a prey, andshall live. has not even registered with him.” (Kidner). If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain. 2 Jeremiah had told the people that the Lord had said, ‘Any people who stay in this city will die. Jeremiah 38:24 - Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, 'Let no man know about these words and you will not die. That major section of the book of Jeremiah runs from chapter 36 through chapter 45. Let’s just notice two things about the list of people Zedekiah sent to Jeremiah. Furthermore, Zedekiah orders Jeremiah to not tell anyone anything in verses 24-26 – especially those officials who sought Jeremiah’s death back in the first section of this chapter. 38:26 "you are to say to them" Jeremiah agrees to the cover story. a. I am afraid of the Jews who have defected to the Chaldeans: Like all of us, Zedekiah could always think of a reason why obedience to God wasn’t such a good idea. Some *Jews had left the city already. And what Zedekiah needed to do is what the Lord Jesus commanded his hearers – don’t fear the one who is able to destroy only the body – but rather fear him who is able to cast both body and soul into hell. Well, with permission from the king, Jeremiah’s gentile deliverer executes his plan to save the prophet Jeremiah in verses 11-13. and went into the house of the king under the treasury. “All he had to do was trust the prophet, to lift his head high, take up the flag of truce, walk past the princes and out to the Chaldean armies. And he does it with zest – 30 men?! “Zedekiah returned to the palace to suffer the anguish of knowing what was right to do but lacking the courage to do it.” (Thompson), ©2018 David Guzik – No distribution beyond personal use without permission. and those women shall say [to you, Zedekiah…]. Psalm 69:14).” (Thompson), ii. Commentary on Jeremiah 32:1-15 (Read Jeremiah 32:1-15) Jeremiah, being in prison for his prophecy, purchased a piece of ground. He did not reveal what God said to Zedekiah, apparently believing that it was between the king and God. R. K. Harrison, in the Tyndale OT Series lists the similarities of Jer. In this day and age of stressing a “positive mental attitude” the Bible message of the depravity and condemnation of all men will earn us perhaps the worst label of all – we’re supposedly “negative.”. 6 Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the [dungeon/cistern] of Malchiah the son of [Hammelech/the king] [i.e., one of the royal princes…], that was in the [court/courtyard] of the [prison/guard/guardhouse]: and they let down Jeremiah with [cords/ropes]. And the ones that remain are being demoralized by God’s word. But they had refused over and over. on StudyLight.org Learn how your comment data is processed. I pray this day that every help I need today be released. Jeremiah Put into the Dungeon; Ebed-melech's Care of Jeremiah. And so it’s best to see this as Zedekiah’s pendulum swinging in the completely opposite direction as where it was when the officials came to him. If not, he will suffer greatly. Here, I. Jeremiah for his faithfulness is put into the dungeon by the princes (v. 1-6). Jeremiah 38 Commentary, this commentary, filling six volumes, provides an exhaustive look at every verse in the Bible. We’ve seen some soberness from him. Now Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison until the day that Jerusalem was taken. We beseech thee, let this man be put to death: for thus he [weakeneth the hands of/demoralizing] the men of war that remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words unto them: for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt. You see, this man – an African national hired to fight against Babylon for Judah – he came to trust in the God of Judah. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. i. Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary 38:1-13 Jeremiah went on in his plain preaching. So it shall be well with you, and your soul shall live. 4 Therefore the [princes/officials] said unto the king. We’re in Jeremiah 39. There was a course of action to be followed which he knew to be right, but he lacked the courage to take it.” (Thompson), ii. Jeremiah Thrown Into a Cistern. Jeremiah is cast into a dungeon, from whence he is delivered by an Ethiopian. Thanks, Kimberly! But, despite receiving God’s very message from his true prophet, Zedekiah in verse 19 expresses his fear of men, which evidently outweighs his fear of God. It is common for wicked people to look upon God's faithful ministers as enemies, because they show what enemies the wicked are to themselves while impenitent. This is a study guide commentary, whichmeans that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. and let them down by cords into the [dungeon/cistern] to Jeremiah. a. Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army c… And so some who have studied this passage wonder if it’s a typo in the copies of the Scripture – they think maybe that number should be 3 rather than 30. “Even the preview of what he is bringing on his family (Jeremiah 38:23) fails to pull the king together. 13 So they drew up Jeremiah with [cords/ropes]. 38 Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jehukal[ a] son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malkijah heard what Jeremiah was telling all the people when he said, 2 “This is what the Lord says: ‘Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague, but whoever goes over to the Babylonians[ b] will live. JEREMIAH PREDICTS THE CAPTURE OF JERUSALEM, FOR WHICH HE IS CAST INTO A DUNGEON, BUT IS TRANSFERRED TO THE PRISON COURT ON THE INTERCESSION OF EBED-MELECH, AND HAS A SECRET INTERVIEW WITH ZEDEKIAH. And yet, the Lord here threatens Zedekiah to such an extent that until he gets that promise that he won’t die – he wouldn’t be able to just sit back and assume things would be fine for him. Well, emboldened by the king’s assurance of safety, Jeremiah goes on to speak God’s counsel to Zedekiah in verses 17-18. He did ask the king this very question in 37:20. To begin, Zedekiah asks Jeremiah to answer a question he has in verse 14. So, they’ve heard Jeremiah’s message of judgement and punishment unless the people repent. He told them according to all the words that the king had commanded: When the princes of Judah asked Jeremiah about his conversation with the king, Jeremiah did as the king asked. So, this man is from Ethiopia. This is the last conversation we have recorded of this king. He speaks of the Lord who created the life or soul of each individual. Let no one know of these words: Mindful of his own interests, Zedekiah did not want anyone else to know what the LORD told him through Jeremiah. Jeremiah 37:1-21 Giving is More Important Than Getting. Changes will take effect once you reload the page. Now it’s – take as many men as you need – even 30! He goes from hastily ordering the death of Jeremiah to now ordering his rescue. Donns says: September 17, 2018 at 9:02 am. for the king is not he that can do any thing against you. This law they and their fathers had broken. Those four murderous officials may have even been there. Surrender to the Babylonians would spare the city of Jerusalem. The king sent and had Jeremiah the prophet brought to him at the third entrance of the house of the Lord: As in Jeremiah 38:16-17, King Zedekiah wanted a private meeting with Jeremiah. Bible commentary on the Book of Jeremiah, chapter 38, by Dr. Bob Utley, retired professor of hermeneutics. 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